Grand Rapids Cocktail Bars

Thanks to the availability of high-quality craft spirits from local and global sources, the cocktail craze is booming in Grand Rapids. Restaurants, distilleries and other craft beverage makers all over the city and region serve up a dazzling lineup of classic and creative alcohol combinations. We asked our social media followers to tell us their favorite local cocktail places and they responded with a diverse mix of bars, taprooms and restaurants. Check out these popular destinations, listed in order of most mentions.

Drip Drop Cocktail Room

Opened in November 2022, this late-night cocktail bar is nestled between Fratelli’s Kitchen & Bar  and the Anchor Bar  in the busy Bridge Street Entertainment District. Drip Drop Cocktail Room  serves up classic cocktails with a modern twist, utilizing everything from fresh herbs and fruit to flavorful spices and island-inspired ingredients. The menu lists cocktail options by continent of origin – Latin America, North America, Europe, Asia and Africa – and includes a “Walk of Fame” section of favorites. There are a couple spirit-selections, too.

With brick walls, vibrant colors, candlelit tables and cozy seating, Drip Drop is a perfect date-night destination or a great place for a nightcap after a downtown concert or stage show.

Eastern Kille Distillery

Craft meets nature at Eastern Kille Distillery, where handcrafted spirits and seasonal cocktails are enjoyed amidst breathtaking natural beauty. The bar program features both innovative house creations and expertly crafted classics built around the distillery’s own gins, rums, whiskeys, vodkas and more. A food menu emphasizing shareable plates and wood-fired pizzas complements the beverage selections.

Eastern Kille is nestled against a wooded backdrop in Rockford, 15 minutes from Grand Rapids, in a stunning architectural space with both a covered patio and backyard bar.

One Bourbon

“Serving up the good stuff” in the Bridge Street Entertainment District since 2016, One Bourbon boasts more than 400 bourbons and whiskeys that can be sipped straight or mixed into classic and seasonal cocktails – from a Manhattan and an Old Fashioned to a Bell Pepper Margarita and a Lavender Sage Lemonade. The food menu features hearty entrées, shareable dishes and scrumptious desserts. Both the food and drink menus change frequently.

With a warm and cozy interior, spacious outdoor patio and winter “greenhouse” for auxiliary dining and events, One Bourbon is a great place to relax and unwind.

Buffalo Traders Lounge

Established in the summer of 2017, Buffalo Traders Lounge  wanted to take the cocktail movement back to its roots. With that in mind, they based their menu and concept on prohibition and pre-prohibition cocktails, including the classics. The decor and vibe emphasizes the “lounge” in cocktail lounge, with a distinct 1970's flair that – coupled with friendly, knowledgeable service – puts everyone at ease.

Buffalo Traders Lounge showcases local spirit producers such as Eastern Kille Distillery  and Long Road Distillers.  The location in downtown Grand Rapids can seat around 50 people at a combination of seats at the bar, tables, and couches.

Gin Gin’s

Just off downtown GR’s Bridge Street, Gin Gin’s is a warm, elegant bar/eatery serving up a menu of American classics. The cocktail menu offers a broad range of timeless favorites, including 10 different martinis, along with selections that showcase the versatility of gin. (What else would you expect with a name like Gin Gin’s?) Spirit-free cocktails are also available, as are wines and a vast collection of spirits.

Steaks, seafood and homemade pasta are specialties of the house, all of which pair perfectly with beverage offerings. Enjoy your selections in the stylish, cozy interior or, in warmer months, on the greenery-filled outdoor patio.

Mo’s Cocktail Lounge

Mangiamo , a much-loved Italian restaurant set in an 1870s-era mansion in Uptown GR, closed in 2017 – and then reopened in January 2024 with a “secret” addition: Mo’s Cocktail Lounge , a retro cocktail bar tucked into the historic home’s basement.

Mo’s seats approximately 35 people in a cozy atmosphere that evokes the jazz club aesthetic of the early 1900s. The energy, though, is decidedly contemporary, with an inclusive ambience and Instagram-worthy drink presentations. The menu showcases Italian liquors mixed into an array of creative cocktails, from an Aperol Coconut Margarita to a Cucumber Gin Sour.

SpeakEZ Lounge

This casual, friendly speakeasy-style pub in downtown GR offers a diverse mix of freshly made cocktails, including “SEZ Classics” – like the EZ Does It, made with gin, Campari, vermouth and nocino liqueur from local Long Road Distillers – and seasonal cocktails such as a Ginger Pear Fizzle and Hot Pear Protocol. SpeakEZ also offers a variety of canned cocktails, beer, wine and non-alcoholic drinks.

The prohibition-inspired pub serves lunch and dinner along with a very popular Saturday and Sunday brunch. It’s also a great place to watch international soccer matches on the big-screen TVs around the space.

Sidebar

This hidden gem is located in a small room adjacent to Big O’ Pizza  near Leo’s Seafood Restaurant & Bar and CityFlats Hotel  in downtown GR. Sidebar  exudes a speakeasy vibe thanks to its secretive location, “backroom” atmosphere, ornate cocktails, lack of windows and old-world decor. Signature cocktails are devised and handcrafted by Sidebar’s staff of talented mixologists, who are also adept at tailoring a beverage to your exact specifications.

In order to maximize the comfort for their guests and maintain the speakeasy experience, Sidebar is stringent on their maximum seating capacity of 18.

Pursuit of Happiness

A casual-yet-chic champagne bar and market in Uptown GR, Pursuit of Happiness  offers a selection of “bubbles & troubles” – a selection of spritz cocktails made with their very own champagne, a delicately dry Blanc de Noirs. You can also get “bubbles by the glass” and “bubbles by the bottle” as well as an assortment of wine, beer and specialty cocktails.

Non-alcoholic selections include mocktails, coffee, tea and more.

A small-plates food menu includes charcuterie, and a burrata plate plus some sweets from Mokaya , a nearby artisan chocolate and confections boutique.

Long Road Distillers

Grand Rapids’ first distillery, Long Road opened in the city’s West Leonard Street neighborhood in 2015 and immediately set about winning international awards for its handcrafted spirits. Those spirits are the foundation of the cocktail menu, which includes a wide selection of seasonal selections as well as various versions of classic favorites. Long Road’s own canned cocktails are also available, along with zero-proof cocktails, shots and spirit flights.

Long Road partners with local producers and farmers to make fresh, from-scratch snacks, salads, sandwiches and entrées to enjoy with your drinks.

Mammoth Distilling Cocktail Lounge

Mammoth Distilling Cocktail Lounge  brings the taste, look and feel of northern Michigan to Uptown Grand Rapids. Mammoth Distilling is headquartered in Central Lake, 167 miles north of GR, where it crafts a full line of small-batch spirits, including rye, whiskey, bourbon, gin, vodka and “Cherry Bounce” liqueur. The company is known for using as many Michigan ingredients as possible to make its products, from Traverse City cherries to Rosen rye grown on South Manitou Island.

Mammoth opened this Grand Rapids location in November 2023 after transforming a former auto parts store into a rustic haven featuring hardwood floors, brick walls, dim lighting and a bar built atop piles of firewood. Guests can enjoy tasting flights of Mammoth spirits as well as craft cocktails made with them. Don’t see what you want on the menu? Just ask your bartender to mix it up for you.

Bier Distillery & Brewery

Bier Distillery & Brewery has been crafting distilled spirits, cocktails, beer, wine and Dutch and American comfort food from scratch at its Comstock Park location since 2016.  Cocktails run the gamut from classic to creative, such as the Almond Joy and Banket Sour, both made with Bier’s almond liqueur. Seasonal cocktails include selections created to help guests toast the holidays in a special way. Bier also offers non-alcoholic spirits and no- and low-alcohol cocktails, and wine and sangria.

Bier Distillery & Brewery is co-owned by Sara Bierling, who is featured in our Women Crafting the Beverage Industry in Grand Rapids article.

Ada Hotel

You don’t have to be a guest of the Ada Hotel to enjoy a cocktail in the hotel’s two restaurants. Everyone’s welcome at The Post Tavern, a ground-floor restaurant serving up comfort food with cozy ambiance, and Rix, an upscale dining experience on the third floor complete with a three-season outdoor terrace. The skilled bartenders at both establishments serve up a wide variety of signature cocktails and mocktails along with beer, wine and spirits.

The original Ada Hotel, built in the 1800s, was the social hub of its namesake village 15 minutes from downtown Grand Rapids. Rix and The Post Tavern have helped make the new Ada Hotel, opened in 2024, just as much of a community gathering space.

New Holland Brewing – The Knickerbocker

Another destination in the Bridge Street Entertainment District, The Knickerbocker is the second brewpub opened by Holland, Michigan’s famed New Holland Brewing Co. Featuring an indoor and outdoor beer garden, three separate bars and a wood-fired pizza oven, The Knickerbocker helped drive Bridge Street’s renaissance when it opened in 2016.

New Holland crafts a tremendous variety of award-winning spirits, which Knickerbocker bartenders use to create a delectable array of craft cocktails. Canned cocktails and seltzers are also available, along with beer, mocktails and more.

Sip Coffee & Cocktails

Grand Rapids’ Alger Heights neighborhood is the setting for Sip Coffee & Cocktails, which serves coffee and baked goods during the day and handcrafted cocktails, spirit-free sips and sharable bites into the evening. Whether you’re a seasoned cocktail connoisseur or just looking to explore something new, you’ll find plenty to delight you at Sip, including a big selection of creative cocktails (and mocktails) and a handful of enduring classics. Wine, beer and spirits are also on the menu.

Lumber Baron Bar

The Lumber Baron Bar , located in the Amway Grand Plaza, Curio Collection by Hilton , offers the warmth and charm of a historic speakeasy, complete with fireplace, leather club chairs and a large selection of premium cocktails. The décor was inspired by the homes of lumber barons who built lavish mansions in the late 1800s, when Grand Rapids was known as the fine furniture capital of the world.

Lumber Baron’s cocktails are a perfect blend of balance and creativity – the knowledgeable staff puts as much care into a gin-and-tonic as they do a seven-ingredient cocktail.

Less Traveled

This cocktail bar comes from the creative minds behind Long Road Distillers , the award-wining spirits company that has operated a bar and restaurant on GR’s west side since 2015. Less Traveled  brings Long Road’s craft spirits and cocktails to the east side of town, in an intimate bar setting that also offers sunny outdoor seating. Feeling adventurous? Roll the dice to unlock an unlisted, off-menu cocktail.

Two James Spirits

The Grand Rapids tasting room for Detroit-based Two James Distillery is located inside 7 Monks Taproom in downtown GR’s Medical Mile neighborhood. Two James GR offers seasonal craft cocktails featuring artisan spirits produced on the east side of the state.

Manhattans, sazeracs, old fashioneds and other drinks more than live up to their classic status and house cocktails dazzle with their creativity and complexity of flavors. Try the Absinthe Fountain with friends or a spirit-free cocktail made with seasonal syrups and ingredients.

Rendezvous

The second Amway Grand Plaza Hotel bar on our list is Rendezvous, a modern lounge offering craft cocktails, wine, beer, spirits and a “shareables & sweets” food menu. Along with a regular menu of craft cocktails – including a Crème Brulee Martini, Spiced Pear Margarita and Uptown Cosmo – Rendezvous offers a rotating monthly cocktail. Live entertainment on the weekends provides background music to perfect your experience.

Honorable Mentions

More local favorites and where to find them:

Downtown

Anchor Bar. This Bridge Street dive bar has been going strong since 1935.

Bob’s Sports Bar. Casual bar in downtown’s Medical Mile neighborhood.

Broadway Bar. Especially popular during the holidays for its over-the-top decorations.

Butcher’s Union. Yelp’s #11 Best U.S Restaurant in 2026 is known for its “meat & whiskey.”

House Rules Board Game Lounge. Enjoy a cocktail while you engage in a friendly game.

IDC. “Secret” speakeasy-style bar on the second floor of the Amway Grand Plaza hotel.

Knoop. Upscale rooftop cocktail lounge in the Canopy by Hilton hotel.

Linear. Riverfront restaurant serving seasonal American cuisine & craft cocktails.

Max’s South Seas Hideaway. Enjoy a taste of the South Pacific at this Tiki-themed eatery.

Rapid River Stillhouse. Three-level dining & entertainment destination with a rooftop bar.

SILVA. One-of-a-kind “dinnertainment” venue in a renovated furniture factory.

Stella’s Lounge. Graffitied walls and an ‘80s arcade set the tone at this casual eatery.

Sugar Bar Sips & Sweets. Cocktails, mocktails, coffee, cake, pastries and more.

Twisted Tap Distillery. Cozy, intimate tasting room featuring inventive cocktails.

Uptown

Chateau Grand Rapids. Wine bar with a selection of cocktail and mocktails.

The Grey Rabbit. Art gallery and lounge with craft cocktails, wine, beer and light bites.

The Winchester. “Uptown’s neighborhood pub” offers award-winning food & handcrafted cocktails.

Northeast

Archival Brewing. Historic-style microbrews, seasonally crafted eats & creative cocktails.

Elbow Room Bar & Grill. Comfy, casual spot for good food, good drinks & good fun.

Southeast

Alto Bar. A hidden gem in a quaint town 20 minutes from downtown GR.

Vitale’s. Italian restaurant and bar in Ada, 15 minutes from GR.

Southwest

The Dungeon Bar. Speakeasy-style bar & lounge in Grandville.

Log Cabin Bar. Family-owned establishment serving Grand Rapids since 1938.

Putt Putt’s. Neighborhood bar around the corner from John Ball Zoo.

Menus are subject to change. Check bar/restaurant websites and social media sites for the most current offerings.

Check out our Instagram Reel below of some of Grand Rapids' top cocktail bars!

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Experience Grand Rapids (@experiencegrandrapids)